WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WVEC) -- Two employees of the College of William and Mary and eight students have been arrested following the first phase of a months-long narcotics investigation, Williamsburg Police announced Tuesday.
According to investigators, eight out of the 10 arrested are William and Mary students.
The police department also confirmed that one of the people arrested, Gi Sang Yoon, is a school faculty member. According to W&M's website, Sang Yoon is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Immunology.
13News Now has learned another suspect, Timothy Tyrone Pryor, is also an employee in dining services.
All 10 suspects have been arrested and charged with narcotics distribution offenses, several occurring on or around the campus.
Officers seized LSD, cocaine, psilocybin (mushrooms), opioids, amphetamines, steroids, hashish and marijuana during the investigation. About $14,000 in cash was also recovered.
According to court documents, each person ended up selling drugs to a confidential informant or undercover officer.
The investigation started when police received information about unreported sexual assaults due to an increase in drug activity.
According to police, more arrests and charges are possible.
“I would like to express my appreciation for the cooperation and communication of all of our community partners who assisted in providing information, insight, and assistance into this criminal investigation,” said Williamsburg Police Chief Sean Dunn.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in this drug bust including, Mathews County Sheriff’s Office, Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office, Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office, York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, James City County Police, Williamsburg Police, Poquoson Police, and the Virginia State Police.
Williamsburg Police say this is only phase one of their investigation and they anticipate making more arrests.
Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact the Williamsburg Police Department at 757-220-2331.
A spokeswoman for the College of William and Mary said the following:
The news of these arrests was both surprising and disappointing. We know the university is not immune to crimes that affect all of society but as an institution and a member of this community, we take the issue of drugs – and all matters of crime prevention and safety - seriously. When we learn about issues on our campus we investigate promptly, take legal action as necessary and provide resources to anyone in our community dealing with a drug use problem or addiction. It is an issue we must and will continue to focus on as a university.
The spokeswoman also said:
In accordance with the Federal Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), university practice is not to comment on campus disciplinary matters. What I can tell you generally is that any criminal matter involving a student could initiate our internal student disciplinary process. I won’t speak about specific cases, but there could be instances where the internal reviews and/or investigations required necessitate administrative measures ranging from limiting access to campus to immediate interim suspensions. Sanctions for any student found in violation of the student conduct policy could range from warning to suspension or dismissal depending on the severity of the incident and past experience with the individual.
As for the employees, Mr. Pryor works in dining services and Gi San Yoon is a visiting professor of biology. While it is university practice not to discuss personnel matters, I can tell you that any employee that is charged with a serious crime may be placed on administrative leave and trespassed from campus.
The following individuals were arrested and taken to the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail :
Keegan Paugh, 22-years-old
- 1 count, Distribution of Marijuana
- 1 count, Sell w/in 1000' of School
- 4 counts, Possession of Schedule II
- 1 count, Possession Schedule III, and 1 count of Possession of Marijuana
Daniel Jacob McBride, 20-years-old
- 2 counts, Distribution of Schedule II
- 2 counts, Sell w/in 1000' of school
Biloliddin Tulamirza, 18-years-old
- 1 count, Distribution of Marijuana (Felony amount)
- 1 count, Sell w/in 1000' of school
Shannon Cannaday, 20-years-old
- 1 counts, Distribution of Marijuana (Felony amount)
- 1 count, Sell w/in 1000' of school
Nicolas George Manuel, 22-years-old
- 1 count, Distribution of Schedule I
- 1 count, Sell w/in 1000' of school
Timothy Tyrone Pryor, 27-years-old
- 1 count, Distribution of Marijuana (Felony amount)
Jacob Selmonosky, 18-years-old
- 2 counts, Distribution of Schedule II
- 2 counts, Sell w/in 1000' of school
Devin Moore, 20-years-old
- 5 counts, Distribution of Schedule I
- 2 counts, Distribution of Schedule II
- 5 counts, Sell w/in 1000' of school
Alexander Patrick Foley, 20-years-old
- 1 count, Distribution of Schedule II
- 1 count, Sell w/in 1000' of school
Gi Sang Yoon, 40-years-old
- 2 counts, Distribution of Marijuana (Felony amount)
- 1 count, Possession of Hashish